The present invention relates to methods and systems for automatically controlling the water temperature and water flow in showers, such settings being predefined or definable upon each use of the shower.
Currently, shower systems in bathrooms are manually controlled; i.e. by hand manipulation of faucets and mixer valves. Such manual controls have virtually disappeared in most other systems in the home, having been replaced by electronic controls. These embody keyboard input with instant readout and activate electromechanical implementation as required.
Phones no longer have rotary dials. TV sets no longer have knobs to turn, rather infrared remotes give all instructions. Microwave ovens are operated through a sealed keyboards, as do all the upscale lines of all other major appliances in today""s homes. In fact, the most advanced washing machines already control water flow and temperature from keyboard entries. Thus, the time has come to extend this technology to the control of water flow and its temperature in the bathroom, especially since younger generations, trained from first grade to use computers, will readily accept it, and furthermore, there are significant segment of the population that require better automation such as the elderly and infirm.
While in general, electronic control of the temperature, and sometime the flow of water from a shower head has been known in the prior art, that art is lacking some important aspects, making its application either cumbersome or too costly.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,789 to Pryor describes an optoelectronically controlled bathing system which utilizes optical fibers to transmit control signals to a central processor and thus provide a plurality of control functions. Also, the system suggested in Pryor is cumbersome with a relatively low response time to reach desired temperature and flow rate, and furthermore, requires unique plumbing in which optical fibers are essentially integrated with the plumbing. The system proposed makes it very difficult to adapt to existing installations, and thus would require the complete replacement of the existing installation rather than a simple upgrading as contemplated herein. Further, the system does not provide for presetting the conditions desired for a plurality of household members, or resetting conditions in a remote fashion as contemplated herein.
Barrett et al. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,409,694 and 4,635,844 describe general electronic control devices for liquids. This system is quite complex as well, containing a large plurality of switches (at least nine) and solenoids (at least eight) making the system prone to malfunctions and costly. Furthermore, the system will be extremely difficult to install as an upgrade to an existing facility and the system does not provide for either local memorized setting of a plurality of preferred temperatures and flows and not for the remote setting of such parameters.
Jarocki, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,890 describes a water blending and recycling apparatus, this apparatus requires the control of at least 5 valves, and, in some embodiments, as many as seven valves. It would be difficult to just upgrade an existing shower installation with Jarocki""s systems and furthermore it does not provide for a plurality of preset temperatures and flow, and, in essence, every user must reset his preferences before using the facility.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electronically controlled shower system in which a wide range of preset temperatures and flow rates can be selected by the individual user, without running the risk of being exposed to a water temperature that is either too high or too low. Such plurality of presets operational parameters could include, for instance, the xe2x80x9cbestxe2x80x9d setting for each family member or the desired settings in institutions such as hotels or other facility where the requirements of many different users must be satisfied rapidly. Furthermore, there is a need for a shower system, which, once preset for each setting, such personalized settings can be easily be retrieved while in the shower.
There is further a need for such a system that can be installed as an upgrade to existing installations as well as a system for new construction.
There is further a need for such a system in which the setting and retrieving of preset conditions can be achieved remotely, for instance from a centralized xe2x80x9csmart housexe2x80x9d control console, or even remotely from a device connected to the internet, for instance as part of a xe2x80x9csmart house concept, using neuron chips and software protocols.
There is a further need for an electronically controlled shower system, where the user can gradually increment or decrement the settings while in the shower, according to his own preference.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved electronic control systems for water temperature and flow rate for showers that utilizes existing mechanical valves.
It is yet another object of the present invention that is easily adaptable to existing showers system.
It is another object of the invention to provide such shower systems that can be operated solely from a sealed keyboard within the shower stall, or from a remote location.
It is a further objective of the present invention, particularly for appropriate institutions (hospitals, nursing homes or even houses correction facilities etc.), to provide for only remote setting of the water temperature and flow rate.
The invention provides for an adaptation module that converts a purely mechanical shower valve, particularly one in which the axial motion (around the valve""s axis) controls the admixture of hot and cold water, and the vertical motion (within a plane containing the valve""s axis) the water flow rate, into an electronically controlled shower system.
The adaptation module includes sensors to monitor the temperature and flow rate of the water between the valve and the shower head. The module further includes a processor that provides for control strategies, memorization of a plurality of settings and communications and drive means to position the valve""s handle or lever in response to the sensors reading and the processor""s control algorithms.
In some embodiments of the invention, the shower operator has access only to the sealed controller/display module and the showering space itself is devoid of any handles or valves. In other embodiments of the invention, the water flow and temperature can be controlled directly by operating the valve""s handle or through the sealed controller display module.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the sensors unit, controller/display and the valve driving units are adapted to being installed and interfaced to an existing valve system.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the controller unit is adapted to communicate either xe2x80x9cover wiringxe2x80x9d or wirelessly with a home or facility central unit to provide remote setting of the operational parameters of the shower, using standard operational protocols such as the xe2x80x9cLonWorkxe2x80x9d standard from Echelon Corporation.
According to a first aspect of the present invention in a shower system having a shower head and a valve for controlling the admixture of hot and cold water to the shower head, the valve configured to move relative to an axis and having a lever coupled thereto, motion of the valve lever around the valve axis controlling the admixture of hot and cold water, and motion of the valve lever within a plane containing the valve axis controlling the water flow rate to the shower head, apparatus for controlling the water from the shower head comprising: (a) at least one sensor disposed within a water flow path intermediate the valve and the shower head and configured to generate a sensor signal; (b) a processing unit operatively coupled to the sensor and configured to process the sensor signal and generate control signals in response thereto; (c) a user interface operatively coupled to the processing unit and capable of receiving user commands; and (d) a valve control mechanism operatively coupled to the valve and the processing unit and configured to position the valve in response to the control signals from the processing unit.
According to a second aspect of the present invention in a shower system having a shower head and a valve for controlling the admixture of hot and cold water to the shower head, the valve configured to move relative to an axis and having a lever coupled thereto, motion of the valve lever around the valve axis controlling the admixture of hot and cold water, and motion of the valve lever within a plane containing the valve axis controlling the water flow rate to the shower head, a method for changing the characteristics of the water from the shower head comprising: (a) sensing a characteristic of water in a flow path intermediate the valve and the shower head; (b) processing the signal representing the sensed characteristic; and (c) generating a control signal usable by a valve control mechanism for modifying the valve position relative to the axis.
According to a third aspect of the present invention a kit comprising an apparatus for automating control of the water in a shower system, the apparatus comprising: (a) at least one sensor disposable within a water flow path intermediate the valve and the shower head and configured to generate a sensor signal; (b) a processing unit operatively connectable to the sensor and configured to process the sensor signal and generate control signals in response thereto; (c) a user interface operatively connectable to the processing unit and capable of receiving user commands; and (d) a valve control mechanism operatively connectable to the valve and the processing unit and configured to position the valve in response to the control signals from the processing unit.